Life After: A Glee Fanfiction
by Groffchele
Summary: When the news of Quinn's accident is announced at Rachel and Finn's wedding, all turns to chaos. Time seems to slow down for Rachel, and the events that follow are entirely unexpected. Starts with Finchel, eventually St. Berry. Includes Faberry friendship
1. Chapter 1

**So, yup. This is my first official story! It starts off after the whole "On My Way" fiasco. It starts with Finchel, though I'm hoping to turn it into a St. Berry romance. However, I want to see if anyone actually enjoys it, because I don't want to continue if all I'm going to get is hate. Anyways, please review! It will help me make up my mind on whether or not I should continue this.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Glee, it would be called the St. Berry Show, and there'd be a LOT more Spring Awakening and a lot less Finchel (Sorry, Finchel fans :()**

Rachel took a deep breath, gazing in front of her at the two tall, wooden doors that separated her from her future. Her mind was racing, and she didn't bother to conceal the many emotions that she was experiencing at the moment. She felt a hand clasp onto her shoulder, and she looked up at her Daddy. Hiram wore a sad smile. She guessed this was due to her 'growing into a woman', as they had put it not so long ago. She put on her best show face, turning towards Leroy. She was surprised to find him staring blankly into space, as though this was as big a decision for him as it was for her – and it probably was. After this day, she was no longer his. She was Finn Hudson's.

Rachel looked to Leroy, waiting for him to speak some words of wisdom, as he often did. But he didn't. He seemed to pull himself from his trance, and looked down at Rachel. He seized her hand in his, squeezing it for reassurance. They heard the faint tolling of the organ, the age-long wedding theme making its way to their ears, though softly. Rachel cast one last glance at both of her dads, before closing her eyes to gather her thoughts.

Sucking in one more breath, she watched as the wooden doors parted to reveal the nave. She was surprised at how many people were present – it hadn't exactly been all that well-planned. The decision on getting married after Regionals had been quite abrupt. She remembered Finn's less-than-witty response to her proposition. "Now? I-I have gym." It caused a gentle smile to tug at the side of her mouth.

She felt all eyes turn towards her, and was worried she might trip and fall, or worse, lose all bearings and flee the ceremony altogether. However, her eyes met with Finn's hulking figure, standing at the altar, unable to conceal the joy that was so evident, plastered across his face. And suddenly, all else was forgotton. She saw herself in the future, with a loft in Upper Manhattan, Finn getting home and their son running up to hug his legs as he bent down to ruffle their child's hair and announce that he would be taking him to his first football game that day, Rachel coming up to peck her husband on the lips.

Such thoughts brought her legs forward as she slowly walked down the aisle towards the man she would be spending the rest of her life with. Her heart was beating ten times faster than it usually did. The veil brushed against her face, and it helped conceal the tears of joy that had managed to break through her resolve. She sensed her dads on either side of her, and she found a newfound sense of confidence. She stepped up the steps to the altar, eyes locked with Finn's. He seemed unable to take his gaze from her, and she felt the same towards him.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Finn Hudson-Hummel and Rachel Berry in holy matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace_._" Rachel only now acknowledged the priest standing before them, and she noticed that he wore a less-than-enthusiastic look on his face. She knew it was due to their young ages, but she was tired of feeling guilty for wanting to take a step forward in her and Finn's relationship. She shifted to face the priest, blinking the last stray joyful tears that had besmirched her face only moments ago.

Suddenly, in came flying Mr. Schuester. It was now that she noticed that he hadn't been there until that very moment, and she cast a somewhat confused glance at his reserved seat, which happened to be empty. "Wait!" He yelled, and she felt her joy sink. She had thought that, of all people, Mr. Schuester would be supportive of their marriage – or, at least, more supportive than a few choice New Directions members. She now felt foolish in thinking that he had felt any different than everyone else who had doubted that their marriage was a good idea. She looked up at Finn, who seemed to have a startled expression upon his face.

"Guys, I'd hate to interrupt your wedding," Mr. Schue said, and he sounded genuinely sorrowful, though Rachel wondered if it was just an expert manipulation of emotion. "But Quinn is in the hospital."

Thinking back on it, Rachel couldn't very much sort out the events that had followed Mr. Schue's striking news. Rachel had stood there, waiting for Mr. Schue to say more, to say that whatever reason Quinn was in the hospital wasn't that serious, and that she'd be fine, but what he said next had left her numb.

"She's in intensive care. They haven't gathered a lot of information yet, but what they have said is that she was in a very severe car accident, and she's in pretty bad condition." His voice tried to remain calm, but it was shaking. "I was on her contact list." He added hastily, wringing his hands together. Rachel stood there, momentarily detached from the world around her.

"WHAT?" Finn's voice boomed out, his breath becoming shallow. "Well…what-what can we do? We can't just stand here, we have to do something.." He ranted, pacing. He stopped in front of Rachel, waiting for her to shine some light on the situation at hand. It took Rachel a moment to come to grasps with what was going on.

"We should…we should go to the hospital. Just to see if they can give us any more information…" She said breathlessly, hoping that she sounded convincing enough. However, on the inside, she was just as lost as everyone else.

Carol was the first to get up. She slowly walked to Finn, who seemed to be at a loss for words. She seized his hand in hers, squeezing it to comfort him. "It's okay, honey. We can go see Quinn. I'm sure she'll be fine. I'm sure." She said, trying to calm Finn.

Rachel didn't even wait for her dads to approach. She simply ran into their arms, tears streaming down her face. The marriage was behind them, something that paled in comparison to the stunning events that were now plaguing them. She felt grateful when Hiram and Leroy pulled her into a hug. The rest of the people seemed to be dispersing – filing out with hushed murmurs that drifted past the wooden doors. It took some prompting, but the Hudson-Hummels and the Berrys managed to lead their children out towards their individual cars. Rachel quietly slid into the back of her dads' Honda Civic. Slowly, they peeled from the church parking lot, driving towards the Lima Heights Hospital Expansion. Rachel was in tears as the car door was shut behind her.

Tell me what you think. I might continue. Tips and constructive criticism are welcome. In fact, they're encouraged.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay. Thank you for all the amazing reviews! I've decided to continue. I'll try to update as often as possible, and on a regular basis. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'm also open to any suggestions on where the story should go from here! I'm a bit blocked as to how this should play out. Also, I have NO knowledge of how a hospital operates, where severe injury patients are kept, etc. So I just guessed. I'm sorry if it doesn't seem very realistic, but I'm open for people to correct me on any errors I make.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, people.**

The Berrys pulled into the parking lot of the Visitor's Center about 10 minutes after leaving the church. Although Rachel had ceased her heavy sobbing, her eyes were red and puffy, and tear streaks ran down her face. Hiram stepped out of the car, opening Rachel's door and offering her his hand.

Feelings the needed to prove herself, she ignored Hiram's hand, climbing out of the car on her own. She was still in her wedding dress, though the veil had been cast aside during her sobbing fit. She brushed the tears away with her hand, coming to stand between Leroy and Hiram. Together, they headed into the building.

The woman at the front desk took one long, confused glance at the trio that had just stepped into the hospital. There were two slimming men – one black, one light-skinned – and a teenage girl in a wedding dress, looking as if she had just cried herself out. The woman immediately reacted with curiosity as well as concern.

As they stepped up to the desk, the woman raised an eyebrow, before speaking. "Can I help you?" She asked, trying her best to mask her curiosity.

Rachel, being the natural diva she was, pushed past her dads, taking charge. "As a matter of fact, you can," She said, looking up at the woman, who was noticeably taller than Rachel was.

The woman waited, staring at the surprisingly short girl in the gaudy wedding dress. She was slightly taken aback at the straightforward voice the girl switched to. She was expecting the girl to be a bit more fragile…

"We're here to see a close family friend, Quinn Fabray." She said, and the woman thought she detected a bit of a quaver in the girl's resolve. However, she quickly brushed it aside. The woman quickly leaned over to the computer behind the desk, typing in the last name 'Fabray' and getting an immediate result. Intensive Care. No wonder the girl seemed so unstable.

"Um, it says here that she's in ICU...I'm not sure whether the doctor will permit visitors." The woman said hesitantly. That didn't seem to satisfy the girl. The woman looked up at the two men – she guessed one of them was the girl's father – with a pleading glance. They looked away, uncomfortable. It was obvious that, once this girl was set on something, it wasn't easy getting her to calm down.

"Well, then go make sure." Rachel snapped, raising her head to stare at the woman defiantly. "I am on her contact list. I have the right to see her." Rachel pointed out, which was true. Upon entering her dads' car, she had found her cell phone sitting in the back seat. She had quickly noticed the missed call and, once listening to the voicemail that had been left, Rachel had confirmed that she was, indeed, contacted as well – though she was busy with her wedding when such happened.

The woman seemed doubtful, but she called up ICU and was immediately connected with the doctor present at that ward. Rachel noticed the woman giving her sideways glances. Rachel, always one to stay in character, did not drop her show face to reveal just how broken she was inside. It seemed like ages before the woman hung up.

Politely, she gave them directions to the ICU, informing them that the doctor was allowing them up. Leroy was the first to respond. "Thank y —" He was cut off by Rachel.

"Thank you for your time," She said briskly. Hiram and Leroy exchanged confused glances at Rachel's interruption, before Hiram placed a hand on her shoulder and nudged her forward. Without a second glance, they made their way to the ICU ward.

When they arrived at the ICU ward, they were greeted by a tall, middle-aged man who quickly introduced himself as Dr. Arius. Rachel was just about to engage in another diva attack with the doctor, but was beat to the chase.

"We're doing our best with Miss Fabray. We have her stabilized, but we're keeping her in an unconscious state so that her brain can readjust to the treatments we've given her. It takes some time for a brain to heal after such a trauma that was inflicted on her."

Rachel nodded, engrossed in the information that had just been presented to her. However, the terrifying thoughts that had been floating through her head prior to the revelation of the disaster did not subside in the least. "When will we be able to see her?" Rachel asked, noticeably hastily.

The doctor seemed to sense the girl's desperation and felt a pang of sympathy. "Well, we're going to wait a week before slowly easing her out of the coma. Then, we'll determine when she's ready for visitors. Until then, we'll keep you updated on her condition." He said. Rachel nodded.

Rachel was about to respond when she felt a vibrating coming from her purse. She held up a finger, telling her dads and the doctor to wait, before pulling out her phone. She checked the Caller ID – it was Finn. Seeming further distracted, she accepted the call, holding the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Rachel?" Finn asked uncertainly. She noticed that his voice was weak - he must be as emotionally strung as she was. A meek smile spread across her face at the sound of his voice. Leroy and Hiram noticed, and exchanged glances.

"Are you there yet?" He asked. Without glancing at her dads and the doctor, she slipped into the hall, her phone pressed against her ear.

"Yeah. We were just talking with the doctor." Rachel replied, eyes drifting down the deserted hallway. She was a bit confused as to why he had called her, though she didn't say it out loud. However, she didn't need to wait long. Finn's next words made it pretty obvious as to what he wanted to talk about.

"So, about the wedding.."

**So…yeah. That's it for now. I'll try to update as soon as possible. Still, I've been having a LOT of problems with , so it may delay me by a bit. I'm so thankful to all of you who have taken the time to read my story and follow along! I promise, the St. Berry is coming up. PLEASE BE PATIENT D: Also, Reviews will probably help me update faster!**


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